Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant reacts from the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015, in New Orleans. The Pelicans won 96-80. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)

NEW ORLEANS >> It seemed rare to see. Kobe Bryant stood here on the court performing nifty crossovers, canning mid-range jumpers and even throwing down a dunk.

But then concerns emerged yet again about Bryant’s health. So much that the focus on the Lakers’ 96-80 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday at Smoothie King Center went beyond Bryant’s 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists and three turnovers in 30 minutes.

The talk also glossed over the Lakers (12-31) extending a season-worst losing streak to six games as Pelicans forward Anthony Davis posted a team-high 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting and eight rebounds.

The buzz over actor Will Ferrell filming a segment at halftime in which he threw a basketball at a cheerleader became an afterthought.

Bryant aggravated a sore right shoulder he said he has nursed for a while after his dunk over New Orleans’ Dante Cunningham tied the game 59-59 with 4:34 left in the third quarter. After icing his shoulder on the bench as the Lakers fell behind by double digits, Bryant entered with five minutes remaining and handled the ball and took shots mostly using only his left arm. Bryant then went to the locker room with 1:09 remaining for treatment. He will take an MRI today to determine his availability for Friday’s game in San Antonio.

“I don’t know if he (Bryant) thought if he would be that limited,” said Lakers coach Byron Scott after talking with head athletic trainer Gary Vitti. “I thought when he went back out, he could play. He always says he has two arms, so you don’t necessarily have to use one all the time. After I saw him shoot it a couple of times and bring it up the court, that pretty much let me know it was sore.”

Although he did not know if he will play against the Spurs and called his shoulder “a little achy,” Bryant downplayed the injury.

“I feel fine,” said Bryant, who noted he has played with past shoulder injuries. The reality is I’m doing a lot of phenomenal things in 30 minutes. My body is not that (messed) up.”

So much that Bryant said he could exceed the conservative approach Scott has taken recently. Bryant has missed eight of the past 15 games, has sat out on back-to-backs and has not exceeded 32 minutes.

“I could play every game,” Bryant said. “It’s just Byron’s calls on what he wants to do. Some games he wants me to rest and some games he wants me to play. I’m good either way.”

Scott said Bryant needs at least 10-15 more games playing between 30-32 minutes and occasionally resting before catching up from the heavy workload Scott piled on his star player.

“Unless we want him to play the remainder 40 games and wear himself out. That’s definitely not in our plans,” Scott said. “It’s something we have to live with. That’s something he has to live with as well. Right now that’s something he’s more than willing to do that just to make sure we preserve him.”

But Bryant downplayed what he thinks that approach might do for him should he play next season in the final year of his contract that will pay him $25 million.

“It’s my job to be ready every night,” Bryant said. “I just try to do my part, make sure I get the rest, make sure I stretch, make sure I do strength training. Just try to be ready every single night. Whatever call he (Scott) makes, he makes. But it’s my job to be ready.”

Mark Medina has been the Lakers beat writer for the Los Angeles Daily News since 2012. He also works as a Lakers insider for AM570 and is heard on national radio outlets, including The Dan Patrick Show, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, The Chris Mannix Show, Fox Sports Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Yahoo! Sports Radio and SB Nation Radio. Medina also appears frequently on Spectrum SportsNet and NBC4's "Going Roggin."

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